Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez Praises 'Right-Back' Dirk Kuyt's 'Fantastic Mentality'

Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has been praised by his manager Rafa Benitez for his willingness to sacrifice his own interests for those of the team.

A player known for his tremendous work-rate and ability to play anywhere across the front line, Benitez revealed to reporters at a press conference today that the Dutchman had even offered to play at right-back recently.

"He has a fantastic mentality. We talk about him being a striker who has played on the right because we needed it. He can also play as a second striker," the Reds' gaffer said.

"When we played in the Cup and Philipp Degen had cramps, he said to me that if I wanted he could play at right-back.

"It's not just his versatility and the fact he's in very good condition, it's his mentality. He's always ready to help the team.

"He is a player that every manager would want in their team. You can play him or not but he's always available, always ready and always helping the team.

"When you talk about a squad or a winning team, you need players with this mentality. If you have to change something for a game or have to put a player out of position, he is always available. That's massive for a manager."

Benitez has also been delighted with the attitude that his whole side has shown in earning good recent results against Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City.

Now he wants a repeat when the Reds travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers this week.

"The players have been really good. The commitment and the team spirit has been very good," he continued.

"When you don't have two important players like [Steven] Gerrard and [Fernando] Torres, everyone has to stick together and work hard. The players have taken responsibility.

"People realise we could have won that [Stoke] game and I think it was a really good performance from the team. Since then we've been stronger.

"Wolves work very hard and have a good mentality as a team, so I think it will be a tough game for us. But we have the challenge that we can be in the top four if we beat them.

"We had problems with injuries, late goals and beach balls. If you put everything together it could have made a big difference. But everyone is working so hard now that it's easier for us to get results."

Meanwhile, the Spaniard is not overly concerned by his side's current position in the Premier League table as he feels it has little bearing on the ultimate outcome of the league.